Beggarly Bel and Dragon THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPAEDIA 426 thatof "asking," while ptochos (Lk 16 20.22) suggeststhe cringing or crouching ot a beggar. But see Mt 5 3 where the word for "humble" is ptochos. A raarked change has come over Jewish life in modern times, in this as well as in other respects. Since the 17th cent, the Jewish poor 6. A in raany parts of the world have raade Change in it a practice, esp. on Fridays and on Modern the eves of certain festivals, to go Times systematically from house to house asking alms. In parts of Europe today it is a full-grown abuse: crowds of Jewish beggars push their way and ply their trade about the synagogue doors (Abrahams, EB, art. "Alms," 310). So the Jewish beggar, in spite of the spirit of the law and ancient Jewish custom, has, under modern conditions too weU known to reqmre ex¬ planation here, becorae a troublesorae figure and problem in raodern Jewish society. For such beggars and begging, see Jew Enc, arts. "Schnorrers," "Airas," etc, and for another kind of begging among modern Jews, and collections for poverty-stricken Jewish settlers in Pal, see arts. "Halukah,''' 'Charity,'' etc. Litebattjkb.—Saalschiitz, Arch, der Hebrder, II, ch x-viii (Konigsberg, 1855-56); Eiehm, Handworterbuch zu den Biichern des AT, s.v. "Almosen": cf Jew Enc, HDB, and Enc B, arts, "Alms"; and Abrahams, Jewish Life in the Middle Ages, chs xvii, xviii (Philadelphia, 1896); Maclde, Bible Manners and Customs; Day, The Social Life of the Hebrews. Geo. B. Eager BEGGARLY, beg'er-li (ittuxiSs, ptdchds): The word has the thought of "to crouch" or "cringe," such as is common with professional beggars. It is used in Mt 5 3 and Gal 4 9, and in both cases means coraplete spiritual destitution. As used in Gal it expresses the contrast between their present condition and the former estate, toward which he says they are again tending. Paul has in mind both the Jewish and heathen systems of reUgion with all their outward show. He therefore here eraphasizes the immeasurable superiority of the riches and liberty in Christ. He further expresses this sarae thought of the law in Rora 8 3 and He 7 18. In view of the -wretchedness of the condi¬ tion indicated by the word "beggarly," he states his astonishment that they should so Uttle appre¬ ciate the liberty and riches which they now enjoy as even to tffink of going back to the former condition. Jacob W. Kapp BEGIN, bfi-gin': To make the ffist moveraent to¬ ward a given end (bbn , hdlal; apxonai., drchomai). Those who interpret it in many passages pleonas- tically mean by this, that in such passages as ' 'began to teach" or "began to speak," notffing raore is intended than to express vi-ridly and grapffically the thought of the dependent infinitive. Mt 4 17; Lk 3 23; Acts 1 1 are so understood. For con¬ trary opiffion, see Thayer's Lexicon and Winer's Grammar of NT Greek. The noun, dpx^, archt, "beginffing," in the writings of John, is used sometimes in an abstract sense, to designate a pre-rious stage (Jn 1 1.2; 8 25; 1 Jn 1 1; 3 8) and, sometimes, the Source or Fhst Cause (Rev 3 14; 21 6; 22 13). Often used also, not for the absolute beginning,_ but, rela¬ tively, for the starting-point of some important moveraent (1 Jn 2 7.24; Acts 11 15; Pffil 4 15). H. E. Jacobs BEGINNING, b5-gin'ing(niT|5S1., re'shith; dpx^, archt): The natural raeaffing of the word is with reference to time. The primitive Gr root raeans "to be long," "to draw out." Thus it is used to refer to some point of time long drawn out, or long past (Gen 11). It is used also to express the in¬ auguration of a particular event (Ex 12 2). The principal interest in the word centers in the use of it in Jn 1 1. It must be interpreted here by that wffich follows in the statement as to the relation of the Logos to the Eternal God and the use of the word "was." It is true that the word arche cannot be separated from the idea of time, but when tirae began He already was, and therefore He was from etemity. See Time; Eternity. Figurative: In a fig. sense it is used of that wffich is most excellent, the chief part (Prov 1 7); of the most eminent person (Col 1 18); the author (Rev 3 14). Jacob W. Kapp BEGOTTEN, bg-got"n (-b;, ydladh; "to bear," "bring forth," "beget"; denotes the physical rela¬ tion of either parent to a child. Gen 3 16; 4 18): Used metaphoricaUy of God's relation to Israel (Dt 32 18) and to the Messiamc king (Ps -2 7); (yevi'dto, genndd, "to beget," or "bear"): gen¬ erally used of a father (Mt 1 1-16); more rarely of a raother (Lk 1 13.5'7); used metaphoricaUy of causing or engendering moral and spiritual relations and states (1 Cor 4 15; Philem 10); of the new birth of the Holy Spirit (Jn 3 Sff). Men who obey and love God as sons are begotten of Him (Jn 1 13; 1 Jn 2 29; 3 9; 4 7; 5 1.4.18; cf 1 Pet 1 23). Used esp. of God's act in making Cffiist His Son: ' 'Thou art my Son; this day have I begot¬ ten thee" (Ps 2 7) quoted in Acts (13 33) in refer¬ ence to His resurrection (cf Rom 1 4). The same passage is cited (He 1 5) as pro'ring Cffiist's filial dignity, transcending the angels in that "he hath inherited a more excellent narae than they," i.e. the narae of son; and again (He 5 5) of God conferring upon Cffiist the glory of the priestly office. Coraraentators differ as to whether the act of begetting the Son in these two passages is (a) the eternal generation, or (6) the incarnation in time, or (c) the resurrection and ascension. The imme¬ diate context of 1 5 (see 1 3) seems to favor the last -view (Westcott). The first 'riew would not be foreign to the author's thought: -with 5 5 cf 6 20, "a high priest forever" (Alford). The author of He thinks of the etemal and essential sonship of Christ as realized in history in His ascension to the "right hand of the Majesty" (1 3). And what is emphatic is the fact and status of sonship, rather than the time of begetting. T. Rees BEGUILE, be-gfl': In 2 Pet 2 14 AV (cf Jas 1 14) the word SeXedfw, deledzd, is tr"" "begffile," and means particularly to "entice," "catch by bait." Doubtless Peter got this idea frora his old business of fishing, baiting the hook to begffile the fish. In Rom 7 11; 16 18; 1 Cor 3 18 the word is i^a.-n-a.Tda, exapatdd, and means "to cheat" or "to thoroughly deceive." The thought is to be so corapletely deceived as to accept falsehood for the truth, beUe-ring it to be the truth. In Col 2 4.18 AV; Jas 1 22 the word is -n-apa'Ko-yll^opa.t, paraloglzo- mai, and means "to miscalculate," "to be imposed upon." It refers particularly to being beguiled by mere probabihty. See Deceit; Delusion. Jacob W. Kapp BEHALF, bg-haf: "On the part of" (Ex 27 21, i.e. so far as it affects thera); "on the side of" (Job 36 2). For hupir, "over," in the sense of furnishing assistance, as in 2 Cor 5 20, "in the interest of Christ" (ver 21); "for our good," "in his cause" (Phil 1 29); also, often in 2 Cor, in general sense of "concerning" (5 12; 7 4; 8 24; 9 2; 12 5). ffitper does not of itself indicate sub¬ stitution, although one who shelters ["is over"] another, suffers "in his stead" (AV 2 Cor 5 20), as well as "in his behalf." BEHAVIOR, be-hav'yer (Dyt2, ta'am, "taste," "flavor," hence "intellectual taste," i.e. judgment,